Don't treat addicts as criminals

José Insulza, GUEST COLUMNIST

The heads of state and government of our hemisphere, fully aware of the pressing challenge presented by the drug problem for the countries of our region, decided during the Sixth Summit of the Americas to look for alternative, and more effective, ways to deal with the issue.

To begin this fundamental task, the Organization of American States was given a mandate to prepare a report on the matter. On May 17, I had the honour to submit this report to the presidents of Colombia and Panama, the past and current chairs of the Summit of the Americas process.

In the 'Report on the Drug Problem in the Americas', we note that drug policies at the national, international and hemispheric level have gradually adopted a view of dependency as a chronic, relapsing illness that requires a health-oriented approach that integrates a wide range of treatments. The fundamental change in this issue is to consider the user as a victim, a chronic addict, rather than a criminal or an accomplice to drug trafficking.

The changes resulting from this new vision of the issue range from the promotion of healthy lifestyles to the protection of users with measures designed to limit the availability of psychoactive substances, to the integral prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and social integration of people affected by drug abuse.

Nonetheless, resources to adequately implement this vision are scarce and limited. In general, drug users face significant hurdles to access effective treatment because of a lack of available services, the stigma associated with seeking treatment, and the overall high cost that it entails.

All these obstacles are compounded when the person comes from a marginalised or vulnerable social group, holds a criminal record, or was denied access to services and benefits.

Drug treatment should be present at all levels of general and specialised care within the health-care system, with a special emphasis on early detection and timely intervention at the level of primary care. In many countries of our hemisphere, there is a significant gap between the overall vision of public health and the services provided for the users of psychoactive substances.

While several countries have developed and approved quality standards for such services, these rules are not systematically applied, nor have treatment plans been developed that are fully integrated into health-care systems.

The decriminalisation of drug use should be considered the basis of any public-health strategy. An addict is a chronically ill person who should not be punished for his addiction, but properly treated for his illness.

While it is not possible to radically change the treatment of addicts overnight, at least transitional methods should be begun, such as drug-treatment courts, the substantive reduction of sentences, and rehabilitation programmes.

Measures that restrict freedom are antagonistic to this approach and should only be used if the addict's life is at risk or when their behaviour poses a threat to society.

José Miguel Insulza is secretary general of the OAS. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.